Maine Highlands Senior Center receives $300K grant

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Maine Highlands Senior Center in Piscataquis County got a huge boost recently with the announcement of a $300,000 grant award from Next Generation Foundation, a private foundation in Maine. The grant is for the continued renovation and repurposing of Central Hall in Dover-Foxcroft. 

Photo courtesy of Chris Clukey/Dover Audiology

    FOOD CUPBOARD DONATION — On Dec. 15 Chris Clukey of Dover Audiology in Dover-Foxcroft presented Rosalie Seavey with a $1,000 check to the Milo Ecumenical Food Cupboard. Dover Audiology thanks the town of Milo for its support in 2014 and encourages other business to donate to such organizations in need this holiday season.

    Dr. Lesley Fernow, president of the Maine Highlands Senior Center, in making the announcement said that “this is the shot in the arm we needed to move forward at this critical time in our construction phase.  We are so grateful; we are just thrilled!”  
    The Maine Highlands Senior Center is a non-profit whose goal is to repurpose Central Hall to house not only a beautiful event center, “The Commons” available to the entire region, but also a medical model Adult Day Service Center for dependent seniors and a modernized, inviting senior center for engaging healthy seniors in the region. 
    The Highlands, as the day care will be called, will be the only available medical adult day program in Piscataquis County, the nearest one now being in Blue Hill. It will offer programs and services for seniors who live at home but would benefit from daily activities and supervision to allow families and caregivers to have time to work, shop or just “recharge.” It will provide meals, transportation for those who need it, personalized appropriate activities, medication administration, maintenance of functioning, and even bathing when needed. Also, a major part of their service will be expert, compassionate family caregiver support, education and networking as they cope with the increased demands of their changing roles. 
    As Dr. Richard Swett, also on the board of directors said, “Caregiver support is a critical piece to enabling people to remain in their homes. This aspect of our project is at least as important as the day program itself in improving quality of life for aging seniors in Piscataquis County.” 
    The Highlands Senior Network program will allow the current senior program in Dover-Foxcroft to have not only a central location for meetings and activities, but will, more importantly, be the hub of a virtual network that will link programs, classes, volunteer opportunities, services and activities of interest to people of all ages throughout the region, but particularly older members of the community. Using available technology the facility will be able to be a clearinghouse for programs offered by other organizations that might be of interest such as a yoga program at the YMCA, a trip offered by Seniority or a quilting group in Brownville Jct.
    We will also be able to guide seniors to find help in their homes by sharing listings of home health services, utility companies, people to assist with small jobs in the home, volunteers to be companions, etc.  “This is a project which is in its early development now, even before the building is completed,” Fernow said .   “In the coming months we will be working with other regional non-profits  including Charlotte White Center, Pine Tree Hospice and Mayo Regional Hospital to build a regional volunteer ‘corps’ to realize this vision.”  
    The receipt of the $300,000 grant now brings the fundraising for Maine Highlands Senior Center up to $1 million toward its goal of $1.5 million to complete the project. It will allow for continued interior and exterior work on the building, much of which will be visible over the next few months.  “Our hope is to be able to hold a big, fun event in the fall in The Commons at Central Hall, if we can get a few more dollars over the next 6 months,” Dr. Fernow said. “We are well on our way.”
    To be part of the project or for more information go to www.mainehighlandsseniorcenter.org.